Carnival Corporation debuts the PlayOcean, a portfolio of original mobile games and in-person interactive experiences that expands gaming into new categories by providing the opportunity to play anytime, anywhere, for cruise guests and consumers alike. With the launch of its PlayOcean gaming portfolio, Carnival Corporation will be the first travel company to produce original mobile games catering to the vacation market.
PlayOcean taps into the growing interest in mobile gaming by offering a selection of original games through two free downloadable mobile apps, PlayOcean Everywhere is available for download beginning September 28, and PlayOcean Casino is available this November. As a result, consumers can play anytime, anywhere for fun, and passengers on select ships from Carnival Corporation's cruise line brands can enjoy enhanced game play at sea.
Available for download to mobile devices via Apple's iTunes App Store and Google Play, PlayOcean Everywhere features four free-to-play mobile games that can be played for fun anywhere at any time. While on board, guests will have access to the real-money casino gameplay app PlayOcean Casino that converts the mobile games into onboard wager games. PlayOcean Casino app will be available for game play later this year on the company's Princess Cruises Medallion Class ships.
Carnival Corporation will celebrate the official availability of PlayOcean on Thursday with an event in Times Square that synchronizes multiple digital billboards to showcase the new games, as well as an activation center where people can learn more. The company will also use the event to demonstrate its new OceanView digital streaming channel – also unveiled in an announcement from the company today – that provides global consumers with completely free access on land and at sea to compelling, immersive and experiential travel content.
The four social casino games available on both apps include:
Queen Sea Poker is an easy-to-pick-up, immersive and engaging experience that takes players on a journey with the Pirate Queen in a new kind of interactive and multiplayer online social poker game.
Tipsy Tentacles Slots packs the fun and excitement of traditional slot machines. Tipsy the Octopus is the game's entertaining guide who introduces bonus features and free spins.
Roulette on Deck is a continuous live event in which players place virtual bets on regularly occurring spins of a virtual roulette wheel. Players can also invite their friends to play (or merely watch). When it's roulette time, all players are treated to an exciting reveal as they see the wheel spin – and their bets play out in real time.
Bingo on Deck reinvents a cruise favorite with multiple bingo variations and many opportunities to win. Bingo on Deck offers a unique experience for guests to play Bingo anywhere they please or to seamlessly interchange between their mobile device and traditional bingo card while playing Bingo onboard the ship.
Available exclusively onboard Princess Cruises' Medallion Class ships with rollout beginning later this year, PlayOcean will feature interactive and social location-based games that unlock once onboard, taking onboard game-play to the next level. Medallion Class Games are created to unite families, engage friends and challenge guests in a fun fashion while cruising. With these onboard experiences, the PlayOcean portfolio extends the engaging stories associated with Carnival Corporation's award-winning Ocean Originals TV programs into immersive gaming experiences.
Ocean Treks Adventure is an onboard digital scavenger hunt featuring American nature conservationist and popular TV host Jeff Corwin who leads guests on quests throughout the ship to solve puzzles, follow mobile clues and answer riddles that will lead them to treasures inspired by the history of the ship's destinations. Ocean Treks Adventure uniquely blends the real-world experiences from the "Ocean Treks with Jeff Corwin" TV franchise (ABC), with interactive gaming and location-based game engagement.
Good Spirits Poker is a fun, ship-wide bar crawl meets classic card game as players visit different bars on the ship, order drinks and take selfies, along with other fun actions in an effort to collect the best hand of cards. The game is infused with the real-world cocktail creations from Carnival Corporation's "Good Spirits" TV series as seen on A&E and FYI.
Tagalong Race pits Tagalong avatars, created and personalized by guests as their digital companions, in a fast and fun race across the ocean floor. In this game played on LED displays onboard Medallion Class ships from Princess Cruises, a user's phone becomes the controller in the race to the finish line.
This or That is an engaging, light-hearted and captivating experience that can be enjoyed by groups of all sizes. Similar to the game "which would you rather," guests will be presented with two opposing options and vote on which to choose. Choices range from the absurd ("Pet a dinosaur or ride a shark?") to the relatable ("Parasail or kayak?"), and the results will be displayed on Princess Cruises' outdoor Movies Under the Stars screen ahead of the nightly feature for all to enjoy.
Trivia on Deck tests guests' knowledge with daily mobile quizzes, and lets them compare scores ship-wide on daily cruise leaderboards found on interactive portals throughout the ship.
A recent report on the Global Games Market by Newzoo estimates that 2.2 billion gamers across the globe are expected to generate $108.9 billion in game revenues in 2017, with mobile (smartphone and tablet gaming) accounting for 42 percent of the market.
